Newcomer Ananya Panday says she hopes to grow into a versatile artiste like her idol, Alia Bhatt some day. The 20-year-old actor is set to make her big Bollywood debut this Friday with Student of the Year 2, a sequel to the 2012 film that launched Alia's career.
"I look up to Alia so much. She has always been my idol. When she came in with 'Student...' she was raw and fresh and people saw her grow. I've been inspired by her growth," she said in an interview.
Ananya, the daughter of actor Chunky Pandey, plays Shreya in the Punit Malhotra directorial Student of the Year 2. The film also stars Tiger Shroff and another debutante Tara Sutaria. Ananya says her character in the film is similar to her real-life self. "She is very much like how I am as a person. She's passionate, loud and expressive. She is a fighter and doesn't take no for an answer. She is someone young girls can look up to and relate with."
The actor said she has played the role with utmost honesty and hopes the audience watches her evolve into a better performer. "I was extremely honest in playing this role and I hope people see that. As Shreya is very close to the person that I am, it just amplified because in a Dharma Productions film, everything is larger-than-life. I have not been trained formally any way before. So all of these experiences were my first. Everything I did was impulsive. I was making mistakes and you would see that. I would like the audience to watch me grow. I don't want to be perfect from the start. I don't want to know everything, that's so boring. I want people to see me make mistakes and learn from them," she said.
Even before the release of her first film, Ananya has already booked her second gig, the remake of 1978 comedy Pati Patni Aur Woh. It also stars Kartik Aaryan and Bhumi Pednekar. The actor is looking forward to working in the film, which is a modern take on the original, that featured Sanjeev Kumar, Vidya Sinha and Ranjeeta Kaur.
"I'm excited about it. After having seen my dad do so much in comedy, I know I have a legacy to live up to. Also, it's a fresh casting. At a young age, I'm playing a slightly older character which will be interesting for me," she said.
